Twisted Metal

Twisted Metal Co-Op Review - Page 3

The game also supports four player split screen, but you can only play local vs. modes with this feature. Drag.

I should note that the co-op mode utilizes a save file that is independent from the single player experience. This means you can’t solo to level five and then have a buddy hop in for an assist when you get stuck. You’ll need to play through the co-op story mode from the very beginning in a whole new co-op save file. Co-op progress will have no effect on your single player game.

One of the more baffling design decisions is the lack of cooperative play in the game’s Challenge Mode. This offline mode pits a single player against AI bots. The player can choose the arena, number of bots, and other variables. Challenge mode could have added some serious depth to the co-op options. For whatever reason, it just didn’t happen.

It’s obvious that developer Eat Sleep Play cut back on the single player and co-op features in favor of multiplayer versus modes. Online versus modes even support local split screen play for two players. Unfortunately, the online multiplayer portions have been plagued with network problems. David Jaffe, the game’s outspoken director, has made some interesting statements regarding this matter. Players are kicked when a host migrates, lobbies never seem to fill up, and some PS3’s have even been crashing. It’s a shame. Hiccups like this can quickly kill an online community. Hopefully the network issues will be resolved soon.

As an old fan, I really like this Twisted Metal. I wish there was more to the co-op mode. I’m afraid casual co-op players will complete the campaign in three hours and move on to something else. $60 bucks is pretty steep for a few hours of entertainment for two people. Seeing as how the only co-op mode is a local split screen campaign, I’ll sum up by quoting the game’s director: “If you are buying the new TM ONLY or MOSTLY for campaign, might I suggest a rental?”

Verdict

Co-Op Score

2.5/5

Overall

4/5

The Co-Op Experience: Two players can team up locally via split screen and play through the main story mode.

Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.